Mark Lesson #10

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
MARK 6:45-56 AND MARK 7:1-23
LESSON #10
GOD’S SERVANT DOING GOD’S WILL

• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 7:23

• READ MAR 6:45-52 STILLING THE STORM AGAIN
• THE URGENCY:
• THE TWO WORDS, “STRAIGHTWAY” AND “CONSTRAINED” IN VERSE 45 INDICATE AN URGENCY IN JESUS. MARK DOES NOT TELL US WHY, BUT JOHN DOES.
• READ JOH 6:15
• DISCUSSION. THE PEOPLE HAD IT IN MIND TO MAKE HIM A KING. WHY WAS THAT SO BAD?
• JESUS CERTAINLY IS KING OF KINGS, SO THE PEOPLE HAD THE RIGHT PERSON. THEY JUST HAD THE WRONG TIMING.
• THE STORM AT NIGHT
• MARK TELLS US THAT JESUS SAW HIS DISCIPLES ON THE SEA IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM. THEY WERE WORKING HARD TRYING TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE LAKE.
• BECAUSE IT WAS DARK, JESUS PROBABLY SAW THEM IN THE SPIRIT. IN OTHER WORDS, USING HIS GODLY CHARACTERISTIC OF OMNISCIENCE (ALL KNOWING) HE KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE DISCIPLES.
• MARK TELLS US THAT JESUS WOULD HAVE WALKED ON THE WATER PAST THE BOAT WITHOUT STOPPING. THE GREEK WORDING INDICATES THAT HE WISHED TO PASS BY. WHY?
• REMEMBER IN THE PREVIOUS STORM THEY EXPERIENCED WITH JESUS, (MAR 4:40) JESUS REBUKED THEM FOR THEIR LACK OF FAITH.
• THIS TIME JESUS IS WAITING TO SEE THEIR LEVEL OF FAITH.
• READ MAT 14:25-33
• PETER’S PART IN THE DRAMA:
• MARK GOT HIS INFORMATION FROM PETER, BUT THERE IS NO MENTION IN MARK’S GOSPEL OF PETER WALKING ON THE WATER.
• PETER, PROBABLY OUT OF HUMILITY. LEFT OUT HIS PART IN THE DRAMA.
• THE TEST OF FAITH:
• THE DISCIPLES INITIALLY ARE AFRAID WHEN THEY SEE JESUS ON THE WATER. NOT ONLY DOES HIS PRESENCE NOT REASSURE THEM, BUT ALSO THEY DON’T EVEN RECOGNIZE HIM AT FIRST.
• JESUS SAYS TO THEM, “IT IS I.”
• WITH THAT STATEMENT THAT IS VERY MUCH LIKE GOD’S ANSWER TO MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH, (I AM ) THE DISCIPLES SHOULD BEGIN TO PUT ALL THE MIRACLES TOGETHER WITH GOD’S REVELATION OF HIMSELF IN THE OLD TESTAMENT INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THEM AS THOUGH THEY ARE ISOLATED INCIDENTS.
• =1= I AM JEHOVAH-RAPHA, THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE. (EXO 15:26)
• THEY SAW JESUS DO MANY HEALINGS.
• =2= I AM JEHOVAH-JIREH, THE LORD WHO WILL PROVIDE (GEN 22:18)
• THEY SAW JESUS MULTIPLE THE LOAVES OF BREAD AND FISH.
• =3= I AM JEHOVAH-SHALOM, THE LORD WHO IS PEACE (JUD 6:24)
• THEY SAW JESUS STILL THE STORM.
• =4= I AM JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU, THE LORD WHO IS RIGHTEOUSNESS. (JER 23:16)
• THEY SAW JESUS FORGIVE SIN.
• =5=I AM JEHOVAH RA-AH, THE LORD WHO IS THE SHEPHERD. (PSA 23:1)
• THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED HIS CALLING TO BE HIS DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES.
• =6= I AM JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, THE LORD WHO IS PRESENT (EZE 48:35)
• THEY NOW SEE HIM WALKING ON THE WATER IN THEIR PRESENCE.
• =7= I AM JEHOVAH-NISSI, THE LORD OUR BANNER. (EXO 17:8-15)
• THEY HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE HIM AS THE BANNER OF VICTORY UNTIL THEY SEE HIM RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
• HOWEVER, PETER IS DETERMINED TO PASS THIS TEST OF FAITH AND OFFERS TO WALK OUT TO JESUS.
• AT FIRST HE SUCCEEDS, BUT THEN HIS FAITH FAILS.
• DISCUSSION

WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE TELL US IS THE CAUSE OF PETER’S LAPSE OF FAITH?

• HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF JESUS AND LOOKED AT THE PHYSICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE WAVES AROUND HIM.
• WHAT DID THE DISCIPLES LEARN WHEN JESUS RESCUED THEM IN THE STORM?
• THEY BEGAN TO SEE HIM AS MORE THAN JUST A MIRACLE WORKER.
• VERSE 52 SAYS THEY HAD HARDENED THEIR HEARTS AND FORGOT ABOUT THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000.
• MAT 14:33 SAYS THAT THEY NOW RECOGNIZED HIM AS THE SON OF GOD.
• READ MAR 6:53-56 HEALINGS IN GENNESARET
• THERE WERE SO MANY HEALINGS IN THIS AREA THAT PEOPLE LAID THE SICK IN THE STREET AND JESUS JUST WALKED PAST THEM. THOSE THAT TOUCHED HIM WERE HEALED.
• READ MAR 7:1-5 PHARISEES FIND FAULT WITH THE DISCIPLES
• JESUS HAS BECOME SO POPULAR AMONG THE PEOPLE THAT GROUPS OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS COME FROM JERUSALEM TO CONFRONT HIM.
• BUT THEY DON’T CONFRONT HIM DIRECTLY. THEY WORK THROUGH THE DISCIPLES.
• WHY DID THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONDEMN THE DISCIPLES?
• THEY HAD TRIED TO TRAP JESUS PREVIOUSLY IN THE SYNAGOGUE INTO PERFORMING A HEALING ON THE SABBATH. IT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. PERHAPS THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD DO BETTER IF THEY COULD DISCREDIT THE DISCIPLES AND THEREBY CAST DOUBT ON JESUS WHO WAS THEIR LEADER.
• WHAT WAS THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS’ “TRADITION OF THE ELDERS”?
• THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS WAS THE ORAL INTERPRETATIONS THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES HAD MADE REGARDING THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW.
• MARK, WRITING TO THE ROMANS, EXPLAINS THIS CEREMONIAL WASHING OF HANDS BECAUSE IT WAS PECULIAR TO THE JEWS. IT INVOLVED A CEREMONIAL WASHING OF CUPS, POTS, TABLES, UTENSILS, ETC.
• THE WORD FOR “WASHING”, IS “BAPTISM”. IN OTHER WORDS THESE THINGS HAD TO BE IMMERSED INTO WATER TO MAKE THEM CEREMONIALLY CLEAN.
• READ MAR 7:5-9 JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THE PHARISEES
• JESUS USES A QUOTE FROM ISAIAH TO ANSWER THE PHARISEES. (ISA 29:13)
• HONOR WITH THE LIPS BUT NOT THE HEART:
• THE DANGER OF TRADITION:
• A TRADITION MAY BE A GOOD THING BUT EVENTUALLY ITS MEANING IS LOST, AND IT BECOMES AN AUTOMATIC ACTION WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT BEHIND IT.
• THE ULTIMATE DANGER IS WHEN TRADITION REPLACES THE WORD OF GOD. THIS WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE PHARISEES. (9)
• THIS ALSO BECAME THE PROBLEM WITH MANY LARGE CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS THAT ESTABLISHED AS PART OF THEIR WORSHIP SERVICE, LITURGY AND CREEDS.
• THE HEART MUST BE INVOLVED OR ELSE IT IS NOT WORSHIP.
• READ ROM 10:9-10
• READ MAR 7:10-13 JESUS’ EXAMPLE TO THE PHARISEES
• AFTER CALLING THE PHARISEES HYPOCRITES, HE GAVE THEM A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THEIR PERVERTED TWISTING OF THE WORD OF GOD.
• THE MOSAIC LAW SAID = HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.
• THE PRACTICE OF “CORBAN” = IF A PERSON DID NOT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF HIS PARENTS IN THEIR OLD AGE, HE COULD DEDICATE HIS POSSESSIONS TO THE PRIEST IN THE TEMPLE AND CALL IT “CORBAN”. THAT RELIEVED HIM OF HIS DUTY TO HIS PARENTS. WHEN THE MAN DIED, HIS POSSESSIONS WENT TO THE TEMPLE.
• THE WORD “CORBAN” MEANS = AN OFFERING TO GOD.
• YOU CAN SEE WHY THE PRIESTS LIKED THIS KIND OF LAW. IT ENRICHED THE PRIESTLY CLASS.
• YOU CAN ALSO SEE WHY THE INTENT OF THE LAW WAS NOT FULFILLED WHEN A PERSON’S PARENTS WERE LEFT HELPLESS.
• READ MAR 7:14-23 JESUS’ TEACHING TO THE MULTITUDE
• WHAT LESSON DID JESUS GIVE TO THE CROWD THAT HAD GATHERED?
• THE LESSON REGARDING MAN’S EVIL HEART:
• JESUS MAKES A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE INTERNAL AND THE EXTERNAL.
• THIS CONCEPT IS VERY CRUCIAL TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE MUCH OF TODAY’S RELIGION GETS IT WRONG.
• MUCH OF TODAY’S RELIGION IS BASED ON OUTWARD CONFORMITY.
• CONFORMITY TO LEGALISMS THAT AFFECTS MAN’S OUTWARD BEHAVIOR.
• CONFORMITY TO SOMEONE ELSE’S CODE OF ETHICS, STANDARD OF APPEARANCE, OR RULES OF CONDUCT.
• OUTWARD CONFORMITY DOES NOT CHANGE THE HEART OF MAN.
• MUCH OF TODAY’S RELIGION IS BASED ON GOOD WORKS.
• GOOD WORKS ARE EXTERNAL CONFORMITIES TO SOMEONE’S IDEA OF WHAT GOD EXPECTS.
• GOOD WORKS DO NOT CHANGE THE HEART OF MAN.
• EXTERNAL RELIGION IS USUALLY NOTHING MORE THAN A COVER-UP OF MAN’S TRUE EVIL NATURE INSIDE.
• IF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT MAN’S HEART IS DESPICABLY EVIL, THEN NO EXTERNAL RELIGION WILL EVER SATISFY GOD BECAUSE THE HEART IS NOT CHANGED.
• NO GOOD CAN COME OUT OF AN EVIL HEART.
• ALL SIN COMES FROM THE EVIL CONCEIVED IN MAN’S HEART. (21-23)
• WHY IS MAN’S HEART EVIL?
• IT IS HIS FLESH NATURE OF SELFISH DESIRE THAT HE WAS BORN WITH.
• WHAT IS GOD’S SOLUTION TO MAN’S EVIL HEART?
• THIS IS THE QUESTION JESUS WANTED PEOPLE TO ASK.
• YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN AND BECOME A NEW CREATION WITH A NEW HEART. (2COR 5:17)
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• THE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS OF THE PEOPLE IN JESUS’ DAY:
• THEY SOUGHT JESUS ONLY FOR MIRACLES TO SOLVE THE DAY’S TEMPORARY NEEDS.
• THEY WANTED TO MAKE HIM A POLITICAL KING TO CONFORM TO THEIR OWN POLITICAL IDEAS. (THEY WANTED TO GET RID OF ROMAN RULE OVER THEM.)
• THEY DID NOT WANT GOD’S TIMETABLE OR GOD’S CONTROL.
• THEY OBSERVED RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OUTWARDLY ONLY, THINKING THAT THEY WERE PLEASING GOD.
• HOWEVER, ALL TRADITION IS NOT WRONG OR BAD. IN REALITY, TRADITION IS NECESSARY. WHAT VALUE IS TRADITION?
• IT IS A COHESIVE INGREDIENT THAT LINKS GENERATIONS AND FRINGE GROUPS INTO A COMMON CULTURE.FOR THE PURPOSE OF UNIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION.
• IT IS A COHESIVE INGREDIENT THAT BRIDGES TIME LINKING HISTORY TO THE PRESENT.
• TRADITION IS LEARNED MORE BY OBSERVATION AND PRACTICE OFTEN NOT TAUGHT OR EXPLAINED VERBALLY. IT IS SIMPLY ASSUMED AND ASSIMILATED.
• THE DANGER IS ONE OF UNDERSTANDING AND BALANCE:
• IT IS NECESSARY TO KEEP TRADITION IN ITS PROPER PERSPECTIVE WITH THE INTENT OF THE WORD OF GOD TAKING PRECEDENCE.
• THE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS OF PEOPLE IN OUR OWN DAY:
• MANY PEOPLE SEEK ONLY MIRACLES FOR TEMPORARY NEEDS.
• MANY CONFORM JESUS TO THEIR OWN POLITICALLY CORRECT CONCEPTIONS OR TO WHAT THEY WANT JESUS TO BE.
• MANY PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE PLEASING GOD, WITHOUT EVER ASKING GOD WHAT PLEASES HIM.
• JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF A SERVANT DOING GOD’S PERFECT WILL.
• HE NEEDS TO BE OUR EXAMPLE.

HOMEWORK
MARK 7:24-37 AND MARK 8:1-21
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF MARK 6:45-56 AND MARK 7:1-23
• IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU INVOLVE YOUR HEART IN WORSHIP?
• PREPARATION FOR MAR 7:24-37
• READ MAR 7:24-30
• WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT GENUINE FAITH FROM THE WOMAN WITH A SICK DAUGHTER?
• READ MAR 7:31-37
• WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS USED SUCH A STRANGE WAY OF HEALING?
• READ MAR 8:1-21
• WHAT TRUTHS ABOUT JESUS DO YOU LEARN FROM THE FEEDING OF THE FOUR THOUSAND?
• WHY DID JESUS REBUKE THE DISCIPLES? (17-21)
• MEMORY VERSE: 1TIMOTHY 2:4